Austria-based EV Group (EVG) said it has boosted its presence in Middle East region with the first order win from Saudi-based King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for its semi-automated wafer bonding system.

A top supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, EVG said it has shipped an EVG520IS semi-automated wafer bonding system and two EVG6200 automated alignment systems to the Saudi university.

Students at the graduate-level institution will use the EVG equipment for advanced technology research and development, including projects outsourced to KAUST from technology firms in the region, said a company statement.

EVG's first ME customer, the KAUST opened in September 2009 and boasts of the largest, most modern cleanroom in the Gulf.

A key win for the company, this order is testament to EVG's ability to deliver world-class technology and customer support for its customers centered in emerging new markets, particularly at the R&D level, said a senior official.

'In the past year alone, EVG has received orders to support a breadth of R&D and university-related projects from the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Michigan's Lurie Nanofabrication Facility, the Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore, Europe's Imec, and the RFID/USN Center in Korea,' said EV Group executive technology director Paul Lindner, said.

KAUST chose the EVG equipment based on several key capabilities, chief among them being the systems' modularity and flexibility.

The university plans to utilize one EVG6200 for bond alignment and nanoimprint lithography (NIL), and the other for lithography mask alignment.

Dr Xixiang Zhang, manager of the Nanofabrication, Imaging & Characterization core lab of KAUST, said, 'We were impressed with the EVG systems' performance and ability to multitask, which will be of great value in working on the variety of research projects that the university is undertaking.'

'Moreover, EV Group has proven its ability to provide us with excellent onsite process and application support so that our local needs can be met quickly and efficiently,' he added.

Lindner said working with KAUST was an important milestone for EVG, as the technology activity in this region of the world continued to expand.

'Moreover, working with this prestigious institution marks a further step in our partnering with leading universities and research firms around the world in their efforts to develop solutions to today's challenges as well as explore advancements that will address future needs,' he noted.-TradeArabia News Service